It’s Thursday and the crowds have cleared out from yesterday’s testimony about the new social studies curriculum that Texas School Board members are considering. Members worked into the night hearing about 120 members of the public, either “for” or “against” the new standards. With the testimony over, board members are getting down to brass tacks. This is where the real work gets done. The board is taking up member amendments one by one, grade level by grade level. They’re starting out with Kindergarten, on up to grade 12.
The discussion moves forward in inches. Two of the main topics so far have been: deleting historical figures John Smith from Kindergarten; and deleting Nathan Hale from grade 1. What’s wrong with John Smith and Nathan Hale, you ask? Nothing, say the backers of the amendments. But they say they’ve received feedback from teachers who want the names out. For example in Kindergarten, the original working group who developed the standards wanted only two historical studied. The board members added another three. Member Pat Hardy heard from teachers that the number was unwieldy, so she wanted to trim where she could. The motion passed and John Smith is out of Kindergarten.
Hardy was also the author of the amendment to strike Hale from the list of historical figures studied in the First grade. Apparently Hardy received feedback from teachers that their students couldn’t get past the Hale’s hanging. They would draw hangman pictures. Since Hale is studied in the Fifth grade, Hardy argued he was covered. That amendment also passed, but the vote was close.
These are just two small battles, but they’re good examples of how this process is creeping along.